US-based Korean animator keeps her finger on the pulse of the fast-paced media industry with video art

Published : Jun 8, 2017 - 13:50

Updated : Jun 8, 2017 - 13:50

US-based Korean animator Cho Na-yon’s “Susurrus” has been selected for the upcoming 21st Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival slated for July 26-30.

“Susurrus” was the 23-year-old artist’s thesis work for her bachelor’s degree in film and animation at the Rhode Island School of Design where she graduated with honors.

Cho Na-yon

The film, which is less than five minutes in length, is one of Cho’s most representative works.

“I once came across a dead man lying in his own pool of blood at 5 a.m. in the middle of Times Square,” Cho said, referring to the anecdote that led to the creation of “Susurrus.” “The sight of the bloody corpse embraced by a beautiful Manhattan sunrise in the backdrop stayed with me and I revisited this experience in creating ‘Susurrus.’”

Cho’s works reflect her contemplation on what it means to be human. She gets her inspiration from her favorite directors Satoshi Kon, Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick, and also a group of painters including Alberto Giacometti, Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud.

A scene from 'Susurrus'

Since Cho first went to the US as an elementary school student, she has moved back and forth between Seoul and Seattle due to her father’s work.

Cho is currently based in Brooklyn, New York, where she works as a motion graphic designer for VICE. Her daily job is to create 10 to 15 preview videos for online articles.

In the fast-morphing landscape of the media industry, Cho’s daily tasks are seen as a key to grabbing the attention of the younger audience who tend to prefer visuals over text.

A scene from 'Susurrus'

Working in the fields of film and animation in the US, Cho said she feels a greater need to improve Asian representation in Hollywood. At the same time, Cho was “proud to say that many Koreans and Korean-Americans are slowly but surely making their mark in the industry.”

The SICAF will feature Cho’s “Susurrus” during its five-day run at Seoul’s Coex Megabox Cinema.